10 Days Alone in Germany

I had never traveled like this alone before, so it was a new experience that was somehow simultaneously restful and exhausting. It is a strange phenomenon. Would I do it again? Yes, but probably slightly differently. I would not move around quite as rapidly as I did for the first three days, as it adds unnecessary stress, I think. Also, would not go for over a week, completely alone, as over the past ten days I have had a grand total of two proper conversations with people. Even for me, being alone that much can get old. I start laughing at my own jokes that I tell to myself and I can’t tell if I genuinely get funnier, out of a necessity to amuse myself, or if my standards just lower and I laugh at dumb things.

However, I will say, I had a lot of time to process and to pray; to catch up, mentally, on some things, and to breathe. I was able to look at beautiful things that I find interesting, in whatever order I please, at whatever pace I feel like.

Germany is seriously beautiful, and I like German people! They are very friendly and helpful, even when my German sucks and I don’t know where I’m going or what I’m doing. Also, they are pretty funny.

My first three days I spent traveling through small towns of the Black Forest; stopping in Freiburg and Triberg. Both were lovely, but I preferred Triberg; the train ride over was absolutely stunning—like a fairytale. There were big hills completely covered by bright green forest, and an occasional wooden cabin. Triberg itself was a little historic town in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by the beautiful forest. The waterfall was right next to where I was staying and the hike was short but really peaceful and lovely. The town was full of an absurd number of cuckoo clocks. I had never seen so many cuckoo clocks in my life. It was a very unique experience.

After that, I came to Nuremberg for a week. I was able to slow down and to take my days one at a time. Nuremberg is an impressive city, full of German history. It has been referred to as “The most German city in all of Germany.” You can spend a lot of time just walking around the streets, looking at the colorful houses, the gothic cathedrals, and the medieval architecture that makes the downtown area. There is always music playing and the streets smell like food; particularly like bread, beer and cheese.

On top of a hill, overlooking it all, is the Nuremberg Castle, which I saw on my first full day there. It was truly an impressive sight to see. It served, for years, as the Imperial Castle for the Holy Roman Empire and more was added to it during the late medieval period. It has remained a symbol of Nuremberg’s important role in German history.

On my second day, I wandered around some more, and I was wondering what I was going to do in the evening when I heard music coming from in front of St. Lorenz. I walked over to see three men playing music that was somewhat comparable to that of Lindsey sterling; it was the best music I have heard preformed on a street in a very long time. I stayed for a couple of songs and as I was leaving, they stood up and said that they would be having an open-air concert in the evening. Having nothing else to do, and loving concerts as I do, I ended up going, and it was actually very fun! Going to a concert by one’s self can actually be very enjoyable! It was at a really cool venue and went through the sunset. It was my favorite evening in Nuremberg.

Unfortunately, part of the history of Nuremberg is that it was once the location of the main grounds for the Nazi Party Rallies. The place for this has now been converted into a museum, educating visitors on Hitler’s rise to power; his campaign and propaganda. The entire thing is done very respectfully and tastefully. While it is a heavy topic, there is honestly so much to be learned from it, I think; particularly from the sociological and psycological side of it all. It is important to be aware of these things and to remain always aware, thinking critically about all that is presented to us.

There is a lot of art and culture represented in the city. I think it would take a very long time to see it all, but what I did take time to see was really fascinating and unique. If you enjoy art and feeling a little bit tripped out, I would definitely recommend the Neues Museum of Contemporary art. it’s delightfully odd and was very interesting, as most of my experience with modern art has been American.

I spent a lot of time in a very integral form of prayer and relationship with an unseen love that is the Lord. I learned how better to be alone and how to utilize that time as a time of listening for his voice and of responding to it openly and honestly throughout the entirety of my day, setting aside especially intentional time for it, whether that be in one of the beautiful and quiet churches or under a willow tree by a bridge. It was a good bit of time to have before returning back to the States.

I have enjoyed the past few months, thoroughly, and I look forward to my weeks of being back home, resting and raising funds, and then to the next season of my life in YWAM. In September, I will be returning to the Lasuanne, Switzerland base, where I will staff a DTS and then the next April Bible Core Course. I’ll be posting more about the details very soon and would really appreciate partnership and support in it, as I strive to help others grow in their relationship with the Lord and to reach out to those of the world who have not heard or do not understand the truth that we have and the love that we know.

As always, thank you so much for reading!

-- Emily

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